SGT Overheard...

[Zazu]

They had Canadian like robots years ago.... :)

Yup, it's true. Manufacture was outsourced to Ford. That's right, the first ones were called the Model, Eh!

[felinefan]

Speaking of confusion over accents, when we lived in Australia (for 6 months) when I was 9, I started my first day at school on an awkward note--got a major splinter in my hand, and had to go to the doctor's to get it removed. Well, we ended up at this place, and the nurse/receptionist was a "sister"(nun), who seemed to dislike my mom for some reason. It turns out that she thought mom was a Brit (British-Australian relations were very chilly at that time, the mid-60s), but in reality she's from Pennsylvania. As soon as mom mentioned we were Americans, and told the nun where she was from, the nun's attitude turned completely around and she was as nice as could be!
And as for geographic confusion, just the other day my mom was at the doctor's, waiting for an x-ray, and this one woman asked her where she was from, and mom said Pennslyvania. And the woman says, "Oh, Brooklyn? "

[hobie16]

The Ozzies, along with the Kiwis, Irish, Scots, etc absoutely hate the Brits. Don't EVER ask anyone with a "British" accent what part of England they're from. You may get hit. I almost was when I asked that of an Irishman. The safer question is, "Where in the Empire are you from?"

[gertiesquidge]

The Ozzies, along with the Kiwis, Irish, Scots, etc absoutely hate the Brits. Don't EVER ask anyone with a "British" accent what part of England they're from. You may get hit. I almost was when I asked that of an Irishman. The safer question is, "Where in the Empire are you from?"

Hi,

I'm not trying to be obnoxious in my very first post, but the above is wrong!

Great Britain is made up of four unique and separate countries - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You could ask someone with a 'British' accent what part of Britain they are from and be considered polite - but not what part of *insert one of above four countries* they are from, unless you can reliably distinguish the four accents and are certain the speaker is from *whichever of the above four countries you previously chose*

I think most people would look at you in disbelief (and probably laugh at your ignorance) if you asked what part of the Empire are you from :D: As there hasn't been a British Empire for a very looooong time.

Love
J (English)

[hobie16]

Hi,

I'm not trying to be obnoxious in my very first post, but the above is wrong!

Great Britain is made up of four unique and separate countries - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You could ask someone with a 'British' accent what part of Britain they are from and be considered polite - but not what part of *insert one of above four countries* they are from, unless you can reliably distinguish the four accents and are certain the speaker is from *whichever of the above four countries you previously chose*

I think most people would look at you in disbelief (and probably laugh at your ignorance) if you asked what part of the Empire are you from :D: As there hasn't been a British Empire for a very looooong time.

Love
J (English)

Well J, experience has shown there are many people with a "British" accent that do not come from one of the above listed countries. I would rather have someone look at me in disbelief and/or have them laugh at my ignorance than piss them off by assuming they were from England. It's a lot easier to smooth over my being a dope or clown vs. recover from a major insult.

[mechurchlady]

It is best to not guess where someone is from. I have seen Hispanics throw tizzy fits when you ask where in Mexico they are from. "I am from Peru" they state and boy do they let you know they are not Mexican descent. The natives do not want to be foreign born either. The same is with asians and German languages.

[PrinceOfSka]

It is best to not guess where someone is from. I have seen Hispanics throw tizzy fits when you ask where in Mexico they are from. "I am from Peru" they state and boy do they let you know they are not Mexican descent. The natives do not want to be foreign born either. The same is with asians and German languages.

Yeah don't ever ever ever call a Puerto Rican a Mexican or Cuban! I watched a kid that joined Latin America club at my college get the snot kicked out of him for that! lol. Regardless of their inability to vote themselves into statehood, most Puerto Ricans I have met feel that confusing them with non-American citizens is almost sac-religious... Also many Cuban political machines in the USA, really do not like Mexicans, as they feel that other Americans lump all Hispanics as Mexicans and tarnish what the Cuban-Americans have made for themselves in this country. I guess to make it easy we could all just be Americans, eh? (though i really wouldn't mind if everyone knew how to speak English if they lived here, much easier to communicate.)

back to the empire thing... I don't think many would get confused or upset about that statement, Great Britain was an empire less than a half century ago, and a far flung one. If you feel the need, I suppose you could say "former" empire... but i think they would all know what you were talking about. If you wanted to be more PC about it, you could say "what part of the commonwealth are you from?" That would pretty much cover all European decent English speaking people other than Americans, the Irish, and the South Africans. Then again, I think its pretty easy to tell a Canadian from an Aussie from a Scot from a Englishman, the accents are pretty different... but others may not have my ear. And if you are talking to a person from an Afro-Caribbean nation, you probably are not going to ask them about the commonwealth, but what island they are from....

[gertiesquidge]

Well J, experience has shown there are many people with a "British" accent that do not come from one of the above listed countries. I would rather have someone look at me in disbelief and/or have them laugh at my ignorance than piss them off by assuming they were from England. It's a lot easier to smooth over my being a dope or clown vs. recover from a major insult.

Hi Hobie,

The trouble is no one here considers they have a 'British' accent - we have either of the four constituent country's accents (and that doesn't count the completely different dialects of different regions of any of the countries). No idea which other countries you would consider having a 'British' accent?? The only people I've ever heard refer to a 'British' accent are Americans - but then again we are pretty poor at hearing the difference between an American and Canadian accent and lump you all under 'American.'

One question if you think someone has a 'British' accent, why would you ask if they are from England?? Just curious :)

Why assume anyone is from anywhere - just ask where they are visiting from?? Saves embarassment all round.

Love
J

[Cranbiz]

Why assume anyone is from anywhere - just ask where they are visiting from?? Saves embarassment all round.

That is why I do just that. I don't guess or assume, I just ask where are you from.

That way I don't look like a SG and it usually starts a great guest interaction.

[gertiesquidge]

That is why I do just that. I don't guess or assume, I just ask where are you from.

That way I don't look like a SG and it usually starts a great guest interaction.

That's what most of the Cast members we've talked to have asked, and we've had some great chats with people and learnt lots of interesting things about America and Americans. And hopefully we have given them a good impression of England and the English, and taught some of the less bright ones that we don't all live in castles and take tea with the Queen lol

Love
J